Sutton Trading Standards Alert about Phishing E-Mails

Sutton Trading Standards (STS), the provider of business advices for the benefit of all enterprises situated in Sutton (Greater London, UK) regarding actions expected from them within the purview of criminal law of trading standards, recently alerted netizens to 2 fresh phishing campaigns. Suttonguardian.co.uk reported this on May 10, 2011.

According to one of the campaigns, scammers supposedly employed at British Gas are dispatching electronic mails crafted to make consumers divulge personal information via notifying them that a 732.80-pound refund is due to them obtainable with their passport and driver license copies along with their addresses and names.

The other campaign posing as communication from an HMRC staff member, informs users that they're entitled to a 244.79-pound tax concession, while providing a web-link leading onto a site that prompts the user to enter his bank particulars.

Furthermore, there's also a web-link leading onto the actual HMRC site so users may get duped into believing that they're reading a legitimate e-mail.

Stated Council Spokesman Councilor Simon Wales on community safeguard, Internet scammers were getting increasingly advanced, therefore it was now ever-more vital for remaining wary during Web-surfing operations. Suttonguardian.co.uk published this on May 10, 2011.

Thus given the above e-mails, authorities at STS recommend recipients of the e-mails that they should treat the messages with suspicion instead of becoming convinced with the plain promises they make.

The authorities further suggest recipients for recognizing the clues within the e-mails such as whether the messages look more towards convincing the recipient rather than informing him, then he should be suspicious. Besides, users must read the messages in detail as well as be critical of them such as hunt for inconsistencies, outright phony offers, and breach of commonsense.

Overall, users must remember that HMRC will never notify consumers regarding tax re-imbursements through electronic mails or via telephone. Such notifications are made via ordinary mails. Thus, authorities suggest people getting phishing e-mails that they must tell about them instantly. Finally, according to HMRC, the department is already working closely with other agencies of law enforcement inside the UK as well as abroad towards preventing these assaults.